For a Second
by Cataglottisme
Summary: Naruto doesn't like being repeatedly sucker-punched by Madara. For a second, he takes a break. NaruHina. Rated T for Naruto and Kiba's swearing
1. For a Second

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For a second.

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One shot! Catags is taking a break from Long Ass Chapters today.

**Prompt by BoredomIsAnUnderstatement **:  
_I remember looking up to the stars above me that night, and of all the things that I could've thought about, at that moment, I could only think of her, and nothing else. NxH_

**Settings** : This takes place during the final battle against Madara. Naruto and Sakura started fighting against him, and Sasuke surprised everyone by throwing his Akatsuki cloak away and deciding to side with his old teammates.  
Team 7 is back, people, and it's ready to KICK SOME SERIOUS ASS.

Thanks : I'm nothing without my beta. Kudos to you, girl.

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For a second, Naruto stopped moving. Madara's last attack had knocked him flat on his back _again_, and he felt like all his bones had been crushed by the blow. Fighting against Madara was like hurtling yourself from the Hokage Monument to the ground below. Repeatedly. Not to mention that the Kyuubi was going ballistic each time its host came near Madara. Kyuubi's random, angry bursts of chakra were _not_ helping Naruto's already strained focus.  
He knew that Sakura's control was near-perfect, but they had been fighting against Madara for hours: chakra depletion could strike any minute now. Sasuke did not seem to fare much better, and Naruto was pretty sure that the blood running continuously from his eyes was not good news.

For a second, Naruto felt like giving up. He opened his eyes and stared at the sky, marveling at the sheer number of stars, shining as if nothing was wrong down here. He wondered briefly if they were all going to die here. If this field would be the end of Team 7. There were so many things Naruto had wanted to do, but now time was running out. He had wanted to go eat some ramen with Iruka-sensei again. To punch Sasuke square in the face, at least once, before sitting down next to him and talking for hours. He had wanted to see Tsunade's smiling face again, to properly apologize to her for that day when grief and shock had made him say horrible things. But now, Naruto realized he might never see his village again. They were all going to die-

_Your smile saved me, Naruto-kun._

For a second, Naruto felt like smiling. He was lying on his back in the middle of that godforsaken field and his clothes were soaked in blood. But Hinata's words made him want to smile. Shy little Hinata, who had liked him all along.  
Hinata, who had looked up to him when the whole village could only see the Kyuubi. Hinata, who had believed in him when everyone had thought he would stay forever a dead last; who had admired him even when he had just been a snotty brat yapping about impossible dreams.

_I love you, Naruto-kun. _

For a second, Naruto forgot to breathe. He lay there motionless, looking up to the stars above him and thinking about Hinata. Of all the things that he could have thought about, at that precise moment, he could only think of her, and nothing else. He wondered what she was doing back in Konoha. Maybe she was looking at the sky, too. He wanted to see her again. He had so many things to ask her, to tell her. He could not let her down, not now.

Naruto balled his fists and sat up slowly, ignoring his body's protests. Today was not the day Naruto Uzumaki would give up. Not when people were counting on him. He watched Sasuke grab Sakura by the back of her shirt and yank her backwards, barely dodging one of Madara's blows.  
'Teamwork, huh?' thought Naruto as a smirk stretched across his chaffed lips.

He had been foolish earlier, he realized. He had been foolish to think that they could die here. Now that Team 7 was back, there was no way in Hell they'd let a loony bastard break it up ever again. They were going to fight, and they were going to take that fucker down for good.  
As Naruto got up and started to run toward Madara, his mind wandered back to Hinata, for a fleeting second.

'_Hold on, Hinata. __I'll be __coming home soon.__'_

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Hm. This needs a sequel.  
What do you think, people? 8D

ETA : okay, okay, got it! _*Working on the sequel*_


	2. Every Second

**Disclaimer**: Hinata-centric stuff? In my Naruto? Elementary my dear, it's a fanfic!  
A writer is nothing without a good beta. All the credit goes to **britata348**.

**Summary**: Every second counts.

**Thanks** : This sequel would not have been posted if lovely people had not left me wonderful feedback: it would have stayed in "Half-written plot-bunnies limbo". So it's **dedicated to each and every reviewer**. I love you guys 8D

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Chapter 2 : Every second

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Outskirts of Konoha, Outpost 9

Hinata tried to stifle her yawn, hiding her mouth behind her hand. She looked blearily at her teammates before staring owlishly at the clock, trying to coax her tired brain into processing how many minutes were left before the end of their shift. When the numbers reached three digits, she gave up. Lookout duty for 36 hours straight was a very special brand of torture, she reflected. There was no escaping it, though. Since Pain's attack, all jounin had been busy rebuilding Konoha, and chuunin teams had been thrown into the lookout shifts roster. Beside Hinata, Kiba lay sprawled over Akamaru's back, glaring daggers at the despairingly still and silent forest surrounding the outpost.

"Fuck," Kiba growled, "I fucking hate lookout duty. Nothing ever happens."

With a huff, he started toying with Akamaru's ear. Hinata decided to try cheering him up. Sure, it would not work, but at least it would keep her teammate from playing origami with his dog's ear. She put on her best smile and turned toward the pair.

"Kiba-kun, don't be so glum. Remember what Kurenai-sensei said about-"

"Silence, both of you," snapped Shino in a curt voice. Her second teammate was staring intently at a small bug sitting on his fingertip. "movement westward, estimated distance: two Ri. Two intruders…" Shino paused, "maybe three."

Kiba sat up briskly, suddenly alert and awake. He inhaled deeply before pulling a dejected face. "Fuck, we're against the wind! I can't smell shit."

Hinata nodded, the wind was indeed blowing from Konoha toward the forest, her teammate could not use his extraordinary sense of smell. She silently activated her byakugan, and after focusing for a few seconds, she finally spotted the intruders. She looked at her teammates and spoke up softly: "Three persons, making very slow progress. But the third one's chakra is almost . . . inexistent." Hinata said, now perplexed.

Shino nodded slowly, and Hinata knew he was already working out all the possibilities.

"Very well," Shino said, "Kiba, Hinata, you go ahead have a look. I will stay here and be your back-up if needs be. My bugs are currently gathering around the intruders, so I will be able to keep an eye on you all the time."

Kiba had jumped on Akamaru's back, without waiting for Shino to finish, and they were already disappearing down the pathway leading west. Hinata was on their heels in a heartbeat, trying to keep up with Akamaru's monstrous leaps. In the trees above them, she jumped from one tree limb to the next while scanning the area ahead with her byakugan. As they neared their target, Kiba suddenly yelled at her: "I know that smell! It's Naruto! But something's wrong, I smell blood too!"

Hinata's heart tightened in her chest at this, and she started running faster, her feet barely touching the branches before sending her flying forward. Her fear was literally giving her wings; Naruto had left Konoha two months earlier, just after Pain's attack, and now that he was finally back, he was wounded? She ran faster, making reckless jumps, trying to cover as much distance as she could with every leap, scratching her hands bloody on the rough bark.

Suddenly she saw them, all three of them, and she stopped abruptly, her breath catching in her throat. Naruto and Sakura were trudging down the dusty forest path, their clothes torn and caked with dried blood, barely supporting a third person between them. Before Hinata could identify the third person, Kiba landed in front of her, and quipped "I'll be fucked, they managed to get Uchiha back! How do you think they managed that?"

Hinata opened her mouth but no sound came out, she was too surprised to answer her teammate. Sasuke-san? That wounded man was Sasuke-san?

Naruto was the first to spot them, and he waved wildly, greeting them: "Hey guys! Nice to see you!"

His voice was cheerful as usual, but Hinata noted right away that something was seriously wrong: his eyes were way too bright and his moves were shaky. Truth to be told, he looked barely able to stand. As they neared Team 7 members, Akamaru suddenly whined and Kiba covered his nose with his hand, his face scrunching up in disgust. He glanced at Hinata and said in a dark voice: "Uchiha reeks of death, he needs a medic A.S.A.P."

Sakura overheard Kiba's comment and she gave Hinata's teammate a scorching glare, before spitting out, "Instead of stating the obvious, make yourself useful for once, Inuzuka! Go and get us a medic team!"

Hinata reeled the girl's outburst, but she could see the tears brimming in her eyes. She was scared to death, Hinata realized.

Kiba ignored Sakura's tone and managed to keep his temper in check, visibly understanding her state of mind. He jumped on Akamaru's back and they took off at full speed toward Konoha without losing a second. Sakura and Naruto gently laid Sasuke's body on the mossy ground. Hinata noted that the medic in Sakura immediately took over; the girl quickly regained her composure and started performing a medical jutsu on her unconscious teammate. Naruto stood up slowly, and looked down at them with concern.

"You'll be okay, Sakura-chan?" he asked softly.

The pink-haired girl shook her head slowly. "I don't know. I hope Kiba comes back quickly, I'm nearly out of chakra again, and-"

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan," interrupting her, Naruto drawled, "'Tis perfectly fine. Sasuke won't die, he promised me he wouldn't, and besides-" Naruto stopped in mid-sentence and Hinata watched in horror as his body slumped forward ever so slowly. He was going to pass out from exhaustion! Her body reacted instantly, and she covered the distance separating them in a jump. She caught Naruto's limp body before he hit the ground. He was shuddering and burning with fever. Hinata sat down on the ground and laid Naruto's head on her lap before taking off her overcoat in a swift movement and draping it around Naruto's torso, trying to keep him warm. Naruto's eyes fluttered open and he stared off into space.

"That bastard ain't going to die on us anytime soon," he slurred.

Hinata tucked her overcoat tighter around him, desperate to ease his shivering. "Naruto-kun, don't talk, the medic team will be here soon, and everything will be all right."

Naruto's eyes suddenly focused on her, as he seemed to notice her presence for the first time. "Oh, hey there, pretty lady!" he rasped, "How could I miss such a lovely girl?"

Hinata felt her cheeks burn. _Great_. Naruto was delirious. She bit her lip nervously, and tried to persuade him to stay quiet.

"Don't talk Naruto-kun, the fever is-"

"Not talk? But Hinata-chan, we need to talk!" Naruto whined. Hinata's blush deepened; obviously he was not that delirious after all, if he managed to recognize her.

"Hinata-chan! It's so good to be home you know," Naruto said, forcing words out through his clenched jaws as fever spasms contracted his muscles, "we buried that fucking rat-bastard in a pit so deep he ain't coming back anytime soon, I tell you!" Naruto laughed, and Hinata disliked the manic ring it had. She hoped it was because of the delirium.

Naruto turned his head toward Sasuke and Sakura, before resuming talking, "By the way, Sasuke has a shit-load of awesome jutsu now. Shit, I'll need to work my ass off if I want to overcome him now. Fucking bastard." Naruto's voice trailed off and he stayed silent for a few seconds, "But fuck, that was the toughest fight I've ever been in," he whispered, his voice barely reaching Hinata's ears. She leaned forward slightly, trying to catch his words, "I almost gave up you know. Don't look at me like that, I really did. Almost. But in the end, I didn't, so I guess it's not that bad. For a moment, I was a goner though, but then there were stars and teamwork and... you too! So I got a grip on myself, and kicked myself back into it. Sweet Hinata-chan showed me the right way again! I swear I felt four years younger! I was seeing training posts dancing before my eyes, like that time in that fucking arena..."

Hinata was lost, she could not understand what Naruto was talking about as the delirium was visibly worsening. She could only cling to bits of sentences, trying to piece them all together to make some sense. She felt oddly moved as she understood that Naruto was thanking her for something, even if she could not exactly grasp what. She wiped his sweaty brow with the back of her hand.

"Shush, Naruto, don't talk. It's okay."

Naruto batted her hand away affectionately and rolled his eyes at her before giving her a huge smile.

"Don't shush me, Hina-chan, not when I have so much to tell you. I'm serious! I'm so fucking fed up with people dying before I can have a proper talk with them," Naruto shook his fist angrily before going on in an even louder voice, "fucking old toad, I'd never have believed he could be such a tricky bastard! And don't get me started on my dad, this one is in a league of his own!"

After that outburst, Naruto suddenly stilled, and his eyes started closing. Hinata thought for a second that he was going to pass out again, but suddenly he jerked awake and his burning fingers snatched Hinata's wrist. He plunged his eyes in hers, "We're going to talk, Hinata. Just you and me," Naruto mumbled, letting go of her wrist, his now limp arm falling back to the ground with a soft thud. "Maybe not right now, I'm so fucking sleepy I can't think straight. The minute I wake up, we'll talk! If that's okay with you, of course." he added, with a hint of concern.

"Perfectly fine," Hinata said, nodding solemnly.

"You mean it? You'll still be here when I wake up?"asked Naruto in a pressing voice.

"Sure, Naruto-kun."

"Good, good. I'll have a couple hours of shuteye then. I really want to talk but I don't know why I'm so fucking tired…"

"It's all right Naruto-kun. I'll be here when you wake up," said Hinata reassuringly, smiling warmly down to him.

"You promise?"

"I promise, Naruto-kun."

"No disappearing like the old toad or dad?"

"I swear I will be there, right beside you," swore Hinata, her fingers tightening ever so slightly.

"Good then. Good, good." Naruto beamed at her, before yawning. He was asleep in a heartbeat and Hinata's arms tightened around Naruto's shoulders. She was glad he would not see her cry her eyes out, like the silly girl she was.

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Two hours later, Hinata was sitting on a hospital bench when Shizune found her and informed her that Naruto's condition was quite serious, and that he had been placed in an artificial cathartic state to force his body to recuperate.

"I see," said Hinata calmly, staring intently at her hands, "when do you think he will wake up?" she asked shyly, looking up at Shizune.

"We don't know Miss Hyuuga," the medic admitted, "it could be two days or two months or..."

Hinata's fists tightened as she tried to shut out the small voice in her head that said _or he might not wake up at all._

"Is it okay if I sit beside him?" she asked, her voice shaking just barely.

Shizune gave her a startled look, but nodded slowly. "Sure. But you must understand that he won't wake up anytime soon."

"It's okay," answered Hinata softly, "I don't mind waiting."

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For nine days, Hinata spent every single second of her free time in the hospital.

Kiba and Shino had told her that between the two of them, they were more than able to cover the lookout duty and that she could spend her days visiting Naruto if she wanted to. She had gladly accepted their offer, and she spent her days in Naruto's room, a silent shadow sitting beside the window. Strangely enough, the nurses never asked her to leave, and she thanked her lucky star for that small miracle.

Every night, just after dinner, she sneaked out of the Hyuuga residence and ran to Naruto's room. She spent hours watching his still form, waiting patiently. Sometimes she fell asleep for a couple of hours, but the slightest irregularity in Naruto's breathing woke her up. She ran back to the Hyuuga estate only at dawn, sneaking back just in time for breakfast. On the second day, Neji requested to have the morning shift, and he was the one at the gates when Hinata came back. Since then, he had always greeted her with a small nod and let her inside without a word. Hinata was not sure how Neji had learned about her escapades, and why he had reacted that way. She could only thank him from the bottom of her heart.

On the tenth night, as she ran through the empty streets, she desperately tried to ignore her body's protests. Exhaustion was an understatement, and sleep deprivation was seriously starting to take its toll on her, but she pushed her body forward, begging her legs to grant her more speed.

She ignored the pain and focused on her sole objective: speed, she needed to run faster. She needed to get back to the hospital room as fast as she could, every second counted.

Because there was no way Hinata would break her promise to Naruto. She would be by his side when he would wake up.

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When Naruto awoke that night, he thought for a second that he was alone in the hospital room. But then, a shadow in front of the window moved, and he saw Hinata sitting in the middle of a pool of moonlight. At first, he could not quite understand why he felt so relieved. Then Hinata smiled, and he understood that his life was about to take a new turn toward something that felt alien, and yet, terribly familiar. He smiled back gleefully, determined to enjoy every second of it.

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The End

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**AN:**

**Happily together ever after scenario:**

Sasuke healed just fine and eventually got married to Sakura after a few years and some compulsory angst; while Naruto and Hinata took their sweet time building a very strong, loving relationship.  
At least one of their kids managed to fall in love with one SasuSaku's spawn, thus putting a final end to the pairing wars. Sasuke and Naruto's level of **bromance** was never equaled, not even by Sabu-chan and Gai-sensei who met during and symposium called "Passion, its many aspects and how to include it into your everyday lives".

Naruto is **love** guys, stop fighting.

I don't intend to turn this into a NH multi-chaptered epic, where friendship slowly blossoms into TruLub with bucketloads of UST, since I'm already doing that with **Drastic Holiday**. So this is the end, folks :D

Thank you for reading! 8D

_Outpost 9_ is an obvious shout-out to _"Gaijin Smash"._ Go read Az's chronicles about life in Japan. He _knows_.

Don't **fav' and run**! **Feedback** is more than welcome.

Om nom nom nom nom...


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